It's Time
by Emworm
Summary: Rachel goes into labour.


**For Nat and the lovely person who requested this story.**

**I do not own SB and don't pretend to be anywhere near as good as Emily Giffin.**

It's Time.

"Dex?"

It's three in the morning, my nightgown is soaked and I am "OW!" pretty certain our daughter is about to make her entrance into this world tonight. If only I could wake my sleeping husband.

"Dexter." I pant through the next contraction relieved as hell when opens his eyes the expression quickly changing from outright love to bolt-upright fear in seconds.

"Rach what's? Julia is she coming?" He says in one breath excited and scared at the same time immediately taking my hand and looking into my eyes.

"Oh OW Yes. Babe she's coming! She's really coming!" I cannot help but, beam through the pain as he kisses my forehead and goes to grab the hospital bag from the wardrobe.

"Where are you going?" I say instantly horrified at the loss of contact.

"I'll be one minute I promise I just have to grab the bag." I swear to god I have never seen my husband move so fast.

"Got it, MA!" He kisses me hard and eases me off the bed.

"Let's go have our baby Dex."

The car ride is a blur as is arriving at the hospital, booking in and all those things I had spent weeks obsessing over.

Because I'm having a baby. I'm having Dexter Thaler's baby. Our little girl.

I am now sat upright with a midwife way down south of my comfort zone while Dexter helplessly wipes my sweat soaked brow as I inhale gas and air like its chocolate.

"AHHH." I see pain on his face he said I could squeeze as hard as I wanted because he loves me and it will be nothing compared to what I feel but, I can tell I am cutting off the blood supply to his fingers. So I loosen my grip.

"_Oh I am so sorry. I'm a terrible wife I'm going to be a terrible mother._" I sob

"The hell you are." He strokes my face and kisses away my tears. "You're my girl. My strong brave and beautiful human rights lawyer wife."

"Continue…" I say through another strong contraction which causes a chuckle from the midwife.

"You are intelligent, fierce funny… and sexy."

"Very sexy." He whispers lovingly placing several kisses on my forehead.

"That is what got us in to this in the first place!" Is barked back at the poor man as it is confirmed after three long ass hours of labour I am finally the "Magic Ten."

"Rachel when I say I'm going to need you to start pushing ok?" The midwife instructs.

"I don't know if…" I sob and scream.

"Yes you can Rachel. I love you and our baby. YOU CAN DO THIS."

"Ok."

"Alright Rachel, PUSH!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

"And again."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

"YOU ARE DOING SO GOOD RACH." Jesus he's on the verge of beautiful tears I am on the verge of tears. We're all wrecks.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGETHER OUT OF MEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Ten pushes later.

"Can you feel that?" The midwife asks inquisitively.

I can feel something soft and squelchy underneath me.

"What is it?" The choice to go without drugs has clearly gone to my head as Dexter walks to the end of my bed and marvels.

"It's her. OH GOD RACH SHE's SO CLOSE!"

"ONE MORE RACHEL" I hear as he returns to my side so valiantly.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." I scream then I hear it crying. Beautiful shrieks of life. Belonging to a baby. Our baby.

I'm openly sobbing with joy now as she raises up this bloody little being, a perfect mix of both of us. She has thick black sticky up hair and chubby little hands that are already curled upwards. As if she is ready to give this world the proverbial F word it deserves

"Congratulations Mr and Mrs Thaler. You are now parents to a healthy 8lb girl." She cleans her quickly helps Dex cut the cord and wraps her in this lavender blanket and hat to keep her warm.

"Happy Birthday Julia." Dexter says having gently stretched his arms out to take her. She fits in his arms like a glove just, staring up at him an odd gurgle in between the greatest display of cuteness I have ever seen. He rocks her gently and I can't help but, put my hand on my heart and sigh as he slowly walks over to me.

"I'm your Daddy and THIS. This is Mommy." He kisses me softly and passes her gently to me.

"Oh…" In a contented sigh getting used to the wriggling little girl who's currently attempting to kick against the blanket while her hands poke through a tiny finger links onto mine and I swear I feel like I might die of happiness. This is more than Dexter's proposal, more than the impromptu courthouse wedding. This is everything. I am somebody's wife, somebody's mother. I am Julia's mother.

"I love you so much." I say kissing her little for-head when the health checks are done and the three of us are finally alone. Julia makes persistently loud cries and I smile at Dexter.

"I think she's hungry." I say half anxious half excited lifting my shirt up as he helps me.

"Honey I can leave…." He offers having spent my entire pregnancy reading up on the importance of "Mommy and baby bonding" especially during the first feed. (Breastfeeding was totally and completely my choice by the way he didn't pressure me for one second though, honestly do you think he would still be breathing if he did?)

"No. No." I say tenderly. "We want daddy to stay don't we Princess?"

She gurgles as I unwrap and place her on my right breast and watch as she steadily guides her mouth over to it.

Julia latches and I am not going to lie it hurts a lot but, is still far removed from the pain I felt fifteen minutes ago. The fact that it is for the nourishment of my baby. OUR BABY takes it all away.

"Enjoy this." I say happily taking the opportunity to take in the new noises Julia is happily making as she suckles.

He moves to sit beside us on the bed and fits perfectly.

"Peace and quiet before we have to destroy our sanctuary and inform our relatives that they are now biologically and emotionally obligated to purchase several gifts a year for our offspring?" He jokes and I punch him lightly in the chest.

"OW."

"Yes but, I was thinking… More along the lines of…. you're not going to be able to see well these for a while."

I watch his mind working processing this. "No time for…"

"Umm Hmm. Not according to those parenting books you are so fond of."

"Damn it."

"She's worth it though," I push.

"Oh yes." Kissing me fully as the baby finishes up.

"You're both so worth it."

God, I'm going to make it so worth his while when we do get five minutes alone.

…

One Week Later.

"Oh why won't you sleep huh?" I say bobbing her gently in my arms as my husband tests a dribble of milk on his wrist. "Why won't you sleep Munchkin?" I kiss her cheeks as she yawns and shrieks.

"I hate this! Babe is that ready?"

"Perfect." He passes it to me and I tip it up slowly so that she can easily suck on the artificial teat full of warm milk I hurriedly expressed earlier.

"That's it. Good Girl."

She finishes her feed and is down in her Moses basket within the hour which is safely nestled at the end of our bed.

We collapse with each other fully clothed on the bed we miss so much.

"Whoever said the first week was bliss is a damn liar." I gasp out snuggling into the crook of his neck.

"Your mom said that." He notes quite gleefully.

"Trust you to remember." I say sarcastically kissing the nerve in his exposed neck and working my way up until I reach his lips.

"You know she loves you." I joke continuing my U rated exploration. "I think she wishes she was married to you instead."

"I do love your mom…"

"Ahem! Wife and child in the room."

"No, Rachel." He pulls me close to him and kisses me fiercely. "I love her and your dad for giving me you."

"That is by far the single cheesiest thing you have ever said to me in our entire relationship our affair included."

"Cheesy? I was going for romantic"

"Then keep going and see where it gets you."

"_I love you Rach."_

"_MA! I love you too."_

We close our eyes and sleep. Finally.


End file.
